MX1: Championship leader Joshua Coppins back for Donington

Current MX1 championship leader Joshua Coppins has been declared fit enough to return to action at Donington Park this weekend.

The 30-year-old Yamaha rider missed the last round in Belguim with a fractured shoulder, but a CT scan on Tuesday has confirmed it has healed well enough for the him to compete in round 14.

Joshua Coppins currently leads Belgian Steve Ramon by 12 points going in to this weekend’s British round, and with 100 points up for grabs it is likely the championship will be decided there.

The New Zealander has been out of action since his crash at Locket on June 29, 2007 but has been out testing and says he feels fine.

Joshua Coppins said: “I rode the bike four times yesterday (Wednesday) and apart from a bit of pain it went really well. I’m 100 per cent in terms of fitness and strength, just down on riding time.

“But in a way that is also a positive thing because I feel really fresh now. I have trained so hard for this season that at times I felt a bit tired, but now after a month off the bike I feel very excited and eager to jump on again.”

And Coppins added: “I feel great and the doctor confirmed that the healing of the bone is going very quickly at this stage of my recovery, I’m already in the UK and will be riding a lot again today.

“Tomorrow I’ll make my way to the track where I will work with my medical team to get ready for the race. I expect no restrictions in terms of strength, fitness or movement come Sunday, just a bit of pain maybe, but that can be sorted if needed.”